Lightning-rod coupling



(No Model.)

- T. H. PATEE.

A LIGHTNING ROD GOUPLING.`

No. 257,889. Y`'Pansented'May16,1882p www l N, PETERS. Phnmmhogmpnef. washmgnm. 0.a

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.'

THEODORUS HL PATEE, OF GREENCASTLE, INDIANA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,889, dated May 16, 1882.

application nien october-is, 1881. No model.) f

"Z'o all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEoDoRUs H. PATEE,

` a citizen of the United States, residing at and to the letters or figures of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to what are termed lightning-rods,77 which are made in sections and connected together by screw-threads 5 and the object of my improvement is to provide the sections' of the rod at and near the pointsv -where they are joined together, or at'and near the points where they enter the couplings,with an ingreased amount of metal, which shall constitute a portion of the rod itself andnot require to be fastened thereto,`as in ordinary cases,said increasedamount of metal being designed'to serve the twofold purpose of strength ening the rod at its joints and of increasing its conducting capacity at these points. I attain this object by constructin g the parts substantially in the manner show n in Figs. 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis an elevation of a portion'of a lightning-rod and of a. coupling, showing how they have been constructed andfconnected previous to my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation showing parts of two sections of a rod having my improved construction applied thereto, and showing, also, one form of coupling for uniting 1 `the parts; and Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, showing twol sections coupled together.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughi out the several views.

Lightning-rods consisting of several spiral ly-arranged flanges projecting from a common center, or from a central hub, have usually been constructed substantially as illustrated in Fig.

l of the accompanying drawings 5 but this construction has been found objectionable for two reasons: lirst, it leaves the rods decient in strength at their joints, as there is so small a surface upon which to form the threads which enter the couplings; buta more serious objection arises from the fact that, owing to the small amount of surface in contact between the sections of the rod and the coupling, the conducting power'. ot' the rod at the points where the sections are joined together is so much less than that of the other portions thereof as to greatly impair its efficiency. By referring to the part A in Fig. 1 it will be seen that those portions upon which the screw is formed are very narrow, and that they form all of the surface in contact with the coupling, except the small amount caused by thecontact of the shoulders upon the lianges and the end of the coupling. For the purpose of removing these objections by providing a remedy therefor, I propose to form an enlargement, B, upon the ends of the sections, which shall form a part of the rod, and thus give additional strength thereto when the sections are united, as well as aiord the vconducting capac-` is to be provided with a screw-thread upon its interior surface for the reception of threads formed upon the ends ofthe sections of the rods, as shown in Fig. 3, the ends of the ferrule and the shoulders being turned smooth, in order that, the bearing-surface may be as perfect as possible, and thus strengthen the rod and promote or increase the conducting properties thereof.

Another advantage growing out of this :method of constructing lightning-rods is that in placing them in position upon buildings and in making them conform thereto the joints are not liable to be broken or deranged, as they 'are when constructed in the manner shown in Fig. 1.

I have shown in the drawings one method of attaching the sections of the rod to each other, it consisting in the use of a threaded ferrule into which the threaded ends of the IOO sections enter; but I wish it to be understood.

that I do not limit my improvement or invention to any particular method of uniting the parts, as that may be largely varied7 and for the further reason that'I do not claim in this application any method of uniting them.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters' Patent, 1s-` A lightning-rod, or sections thereof, having enlargements wrought upon them at or near their ends, which form a part of the material of which the sections are made, whereby said sections are strengthened at and near the, points where they are joined together and the x 5 conducting capacity of the rod is increased, all substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THEonoRUs H. PATEE.

Witnesses: l O. M. GONNELL,

G.- W. BALLoGH. 

